Leoben

Maybe I'm misremembering, but didn't someone on the judging committee say they wanted a strong result to consider promotion? If that's the case, it should rule out 11-4 as a promotable score.

Oh man, Midorifuji... That can't be nice.

Not only the staredown, after Hoshoryu won he gave Gonoyama an extremely nasty look. Something must have happened between them because he occasionally does the staredown thing but he's never as venomous as he appeared today. Aside from that, the win itself was very solid. This was the kind of fight he would have almost certainly lost a year ago, either from the nodowa or the pull down, but this time he countered both very well.

I'm going to be in Japan in November and I got tickets

I'm curious to know if the Japanese media are talking about it at all, but to me it looked like there was an obvious matta in the final match. I was very surprised when they didn't call it.

So if Takakeisho gets a 14-1 or a zensho (lol) in November do they promote him?

Takayasu... hell freezing over... pigs will fly... etc.

Hokuseiho looking like the sleepiest version of Ichinojo out there. Every time he loses I have more questions. Why does it look like he processes everything and moves so much slower than his opponents? Why can't he flex his knees a tiny bit and take a lower stance? Why does it feel like he's not improving even though he's been in sumo and has been coached by the GOAT for years now? I was all aboard the hype train after watching him beat Asanoyama in a power battle last basho but since then I haven't seen him display the same spirit or aggression even once. Nephew looking stronger now with a statement win over Asanoyama doing what he does best. Maybe the stumbles of the first few days were just nerves getting the better of him at his new rank?

Hokuseiho uses his left arm

I've never really follower MukainakanoTenshoho but I'll have to pay more attention now that I know he has such a cool name. Question about pronunciation, what would the cadence be, ten-sho-ho or ten-sho-ho?

Happy to see Hoshoryu fulfill his potential, and even more excited to see where he goes from here. Aside from the Hakuoho asterisk, I think he's the top division man with the most potential to earn the rope.

Hokutofuji used his head like a battering ram. Need to watch the replay but I think he nailed Hoshoryu in the face 2 or 3 times.

Man, imagine if Hokuseiho had that trademark Mongolian killer instinct... he would be an unstoppable monster. He'll get better over time but aggression and drive are not things you can teach, you either have them or you don't.

You could see the disappointment in Wakamotoharu after the match.

Debuted is September 2020. If he gets the promotion it will have taken him 18 basho to reach Ozeki, which slower than Takakeisho (14) and Asanoyama (16), but faster than Kirishima (20).